Course Descriptions

Accounting for Lawyers (2) 502Concentration(s):Corporate Law(Formerly DCL 508)
Accounting for Lawyers covers the basic topics in accounting that are relevant to a business lawyer's practice and to other practice areas as well. The class covers principles of double-entry bookkeeping and accrual accounting, GAAP and GAAS. The basic financial statements are studied and basic financial statement analysis is reviewed. More detailed analysis is made of revenue recognition and expense, contingencies and intangibles. Finally, drafting of legal documents using accounting concepts is explored. This course is designed for those students with little or no prior accounting training or experience.

Administrative Law: Food Safety and Labeling (2) 810KConcentration(s):Administrative law is the body of constitutional, statutory, and common law principles that both constrain and seek to legitimize the exercise of powers by governmental agencies. The history of food safety and labeling regulations in the United States begins in the late 1800s and continues through present day, culminating recently in the 2011 enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which creates a new system of federal oversight of domestically produced and imported food products. This course introduces students to the essential elements of administrative law and follows the basic structure of an administrative law course, but diverges from the traditional study by using cases and problems that are specific to food safety and food labeling issues in the United States. The primary goal of the class is to provide students with knowledge of the fundamental administrative law principles applied in matters involving the regulation of food and food products, and the ability to apply these principles to problems similar to those encountered in actual practice. To the extent possible, this class will be taught from a practice-oriented approach, requiring students to engage in problem-solving exercises online.Prerequisite(s):

Admiralty Law (3) 547Concentration(s):Int'l & Comparative Law(Formerly DCL 305)
This course will provide an overview of Admiralty law and jurisdiction, with special emphasis on issues related to maritime personal injury, collision, carriage of goods by sea and the creation and enforcement of maritime liens. Attention will be given to maritime practice and procedure, focusing on such issues as removal to federal court, right to jury trial, vessel seizure and attachment, and the perfection of in rem jurisdiction.Prerequisite(s):

ADR in the Workplace (3) 505DConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 598)
STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ARBITRATION (LABOR) ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN THIS COURSE. Arbitration of disputes arising out of collective bargaining agreements has come to be the model for resolving statutory and common law disputes that arise in the nonunion worlplace. Growing reliance on mediation and arbitration hybrids alters the role of advocates and even the definition of employee's legal rights. This course will focus on a wide range of topics-arbitrability determinations, injunctions, duty of fair representation, the doctrine of deferral, the role of external law and whether arbitrators should follow the federal law, the role of precedent in labor and employment law, discipline and discharge, past practice, seniority, management rights, subcontracting, union security agreements and their enforceability, and arbitration in the public sector. We will also examine the current criticism of labor arbitration-its efficiency, honesty and underlying ideology. Finally, we will cover the spectrum of topics associated with individual employment arbitration-judicial application of "Gilmer" and its progeny, the merits and demerits of compulsory arbitration, grievance mediation, and peer review systems.Prerequisite(s):

Advanced Legal Research (2) 586Concentration(s):(Formerly DCL 509)
The course will focus on the process and goals of legal research. Special emphasis will be placed on Internet research, but instruction will be based on function rather than format. Students will learn how to find information through the Web, on Lexis and Westlaw, and in paper. By contrasting form, speed, cost and accuracy, students will learn how to integrate these sources for the most comprehensive and economical research product. Equal emphasis will be placed on conceptual structure and practical application.

Advanced Mediation (2) 587GConcentration(s):An intensive skills-based course preparing students to compete in mediation competitions. Students will be selected based on the basis of their skills, their potential to be excellent teammates, to work hard, and to represent Michigan State University College of Law. This course allows students to develop their mediation and representation skills in an intensive, skills-based format. Preparing for a regional mediation competition, students will develop skills in the areas of problem analysis, mediation preparation, communications skills and strategies, and reflection and improvement. Through competition, students experience what it is to be a professional, competent, and ethical mediation advocate and third-party neutral. If successful, students may advance to compete at an international mediation competition. In addition to participation in the regional competition, the course will provide skills building opportunity through mediation simulations. Prerequisite(s): Mediation Advocacy and Domestic Relations Mediator Training or Mediation Advocacy and Civil Facilitative Mediator Training

Advanced Patent Law (2) 533AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 430)
This seminar course analyzes advanced patent practice including litigation, prosecution before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, opinion preparation and recently developing topics. A research paper is required. No technical degree is necessary.Prerequisite(s): Prerequisite(s): Patent Law or Instructor’s Approval

Advanced Studies in Health Care Law (2) 558TConcentration(s):This course offers opportunity for student-directed study and writing about health care legal systems and issues. It requires individualized research and writing, as well as selection of class readings, class presentations and leadership of discussions among colleagues in the class. Virtually any legal topic relevant to human health care in the United States is open for the students’ investigation. The course is geared towards those who have had some prior study in the field.Prerequisite(s): Health Care Laws 558C, or Health Care Fraud and Abuse 558J, or Medical-Legal Problems 558F, or Health Care Organizations, Reimbursement and Regulation, 558U. The professor may approve enrollment of students who have not completed a prerequisite course.

Advanced Topics in Indian Law (2) 635AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 563)
Provides an opportunity for in-depth discussion and examination of current legal issues of federal and tribal law in Indian country including tribal gaming and economic development, tribal policy and governance, treaty rights, international indigenous peoples, and other contemporary topics.Prerequisite(s): Federal Law and Indian Tribes

Advanced Topics in Indian Law: Indian Gaming (2) 635AConcentration(s):This course will introduce students to the unique legal issues that govern Indian gaming activities. Indian Gaming has been the largest economic development tool available to Indian tribal governments over the past 30 years. Today, the Indian gaming industry generates more than $25 billion per year, nationwide. Students in this class will learn about the federal and tribal regulatory structures that govern tribal gaming, the interplay of federal, state, tribal, and local laws in this regulatory structure, the process by which tribes and states negotiate gaming compacts, and the nuanced classification of tribal gaming activities. It is highly recommended that you have taken Federal Law and Indian Tribes as a pre-requisite. See Prof. Fletcher for an override if you have not taken this course.Prerequisite(s): Federal Law and Indian Tribes

Advanced Topics in Indian Law: Global Perspectives on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2) 635AConcentration(s):There are nearly 400 million indigenous peoples throughout the world. Historically, many indigenous peoples have experienced displacement, loss of control over resources, forced assimilation, and genocide. Students will study the place of indigenous peoples within the international legal system and the rights of indigenous peoples within the domestic legal systems of several countries. A portion of this course will focus on international law and institutions principally focused on indigenous peoples; challenges of asserting indigenous rights using the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Conventions 107 and 169, the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the World Bank's Operational Policy 4.10 and related Bank Procedures; and indigenous claims brought before the Inter-American Human Rights System. Students also will study the comparative law of indigenous peoples. The law of several jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Colombia will be examined to compare their treatment of indigenous rights. The themes of indigenous rights to self-determination and rights to land, resources, and cultural survival will be addressed throughout the course.

Advanced Topics in Indian Law: Indian Child Welfare Act (2) 635AConcentration(s):This course will be focused on the implementation, interpretation and understanding of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA, a federal statute interpreted almost entirely in state and tribal courts, applies to all "non-voluntary" termination of parental rights if the child involved is considered an Indian child. This law was passed in 1978 in response to the overwhelming numbers of Indian children in foster care and adopted away from their tribes and families. ICWA is one of the most important statutes in federal Indian law and even those not in the Indian law field will likely encounter it.Prerequisite(s): Federal Law and Indian Tribes

Advanced Topics in Indian Law: Tribal Law (2) 635AConcentration(s):This course provides in-depth coverage of the laws of American Indian nations, including tribal court jurisprudence and practice, tribal constitutional law, tribal economic development, and tribal customary and traditional law.Prerequisite(s): Federal Law and Indian Tribes

Advocacy for Foreign-Educated Lawyers (3) 804CConcentration(s):This course is designed to provide an opportunity for lawyers who obtained their law degrees in countries other than the United States to practice their public speaking skills in an American law school environment. Course components include the study and practice of the elements of oral advocacy, including critical analysis and the development of effective public speaking techniques. This is primarily an experiential learning course with a focus on the delivery and critique of short oral exercises. The course structure follows possible pre-trial developments in a fictional legal case; students will be asked to step into the roles of parties and participants and advocate their positions through presentations, negotiations and oral argument. Students must complete two practice arguments which may fall outside of normal class hours, and must attend and observe at least one hour of argument in a local courtroom. While some written work will be assigned, the focus of this course is on the oral elements of advocacy. The credits earned in this course cannot be used toward the minimum credits needed to satisfy graduation requirements.Prerequisite(s):

Agricultural Law (2) 566NConcentration(s):Students will learn about the regulatory framework of the food and agriculture sector at the federal, state, and local levels and how the application of this framework impacts all citizens. This includes the production, processing, and distribution of food, fiber, and other products that make up a large portion of the economies of the nation and the State of Michigan. Students will learn about the origins and impacts of these regulatory components and how evolving trends and public opinion are changing the food and agriculture sectorPrerequisite(s):

Concentration(s):Students will learn about the regulatory framework related to two of the major inputs used by the agriculture industry – pesticides and fertilizers. We will look at the federal and state regulations covering the manufacturing, storage, and use of these products, safety issues, and conservation practices designed to minimize their impact to the environment. We will also look at enforcement issues and litigation involving pesticides and fertilizers. No PrerequisitesPrerequisite(s):

American Constitutional Law for LL.M. (3) 806AConcentration(s):This course is for LL.M. students only. The course is designed to acquaint students with the fundamentals of the United States Constitution by surveying the Constitution’s approach to governmental structure and individual rights. Major topics include Federalism, Separation of Powers, Due Process, Equal Protection, and Freedom of Speech. Students who have taken Constitutional Law I or II are not eligible to enroll in this course.

American Legal History Seminar (3) 636Concentration(s):(Formerly DCL 552)
This seminar will analyze the tension between the rights of the individual and the role of government in society as the central theme in the development of the American legal system. Rather than a strict chronological review, the course will consist of a series of studies of the development of legal and political institutions and their effect on the citizenry. Classes will be discussion-based and will rely on extensive reading of original sources. Students should gain an understanding of how the evolution of legal rules reflects institutional change, and should learn to see law as a dynamic process rather than a collection of static concepts.
Fulfills ULWRPrerequisite(s): Constitutional Law I

Analytical Methods for Lawyers-Corporate Finance (1) 637CConcentration(s):Condensed principles of corporate finance to serve as a primer that provides law students the tools necessary to succeed as 'lawyers' in the various legal fields that use these principles.Prerequisite(s):

Analytical Methods for Lawyers-Game Theory (1) 637DConcentration(s):(NEW course as of Spring 2006)
Condensed principles of game theory to serve as a primer that provides law students the tools necessary to succeed as 'lawyers' in the various legal fields that use these principles.

Analytical Methods for Lawyers-Microeconomics (1) 509AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 607A)
Condensed principles of microeconomics to serves as a primer that provides law students the tools necessary to succeed as 'lawyers' in the various fields that use these principles.Prerequisite(s): Students who have taken Law and Economics (515) may not take this course.

Analytical Methods for Lawyers-Statistics (1) 509BConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 607B)
Condensed principles of statistics to serve as a primer that provides law students the tools necessary to succeed as 'lawyers' in the various legal fields that use these principles.Prerequisite(s): Students who have taken Quantitative Analysis for Lawyers (637E) may not take this course.

Animal Health, World Trade, and Food Safety (3) 810EConcentration(s):The objective of this online course is to familiarize students with the history, development and workings of the OIE, with particular emphasis on its role as the organization responsible for setting international standards for animal health and zoonoses, and attention to its new mandates for animal welfare and food safety.

Prerequisite(s): This course is restricted to students in the Global Food Law Program.

Animal Law (3) 565AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 501)
A survey of animal legal issues including property status, zoning and criminal anti-cruelty laws. Additionally, legal policy issues will be discussed, such as what to do with dangerous dogs, and what level of animal welfare should be provided to agricultural animals. The distinction between animal welfare and animal rights will be considered.Prerequisite(s):

Antitrust Law (2) 504Concentration(s):(Formerly DCL 310)This course will explore the role of antitrust law and analysis of restraints of trade and competition in various markets. Beginning with an analysis of the goals of antitrust law, and their operation in society, the requirements of antitrust claims will be explored through historical and current examples. Highlights will include problems in market power, monopoly, price fixing, tying, bundling, and special problems with patents. The course will include discussion of recent issues in antitrust law.Prerequisite(s):

Applied Evidence (2) 590AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 453)
One of the biggest observed deficiencies of many trial attorneys is their lack of understanding of how to use the rules of evidence. This course is an intensive exploration of evidentiary principles as they are played out in the context of a trial. This course gives the student experience at both making and arguing objections. It will benefit any student intending to be a litigator.
Because this course duplicates the content of courses in the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute program, students in the FTPI may not receive academic credit for this course.

Arbitration (3) 505AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 569)
A course dealing with all aspects of arbitrating disputes under collective bargaining agreements, including judicial review of arbitration procedures and analyseis of the concepts applied by arbitrators in reaching their respective decisions. Students will have an opportunity to observe an actual arbitration in process and participate as an advocate in a mock arbitration.Prerequisite(s): Evidence

Arbitration (Labor) (2) 505BConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 315)
STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ADR IN THE WORKPLACE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN THIS COURSE. The study of current thinking of arbitrators interpreting collective bargaining agreements including techniques of opinion writing and advocacy before labor arbitrators. The course focuses on collective bargaining agreements, whether an issue is subject to arbitration, timelines for filing an arbitration, the burden of proof, quantum of proof, the concept of discipline and just cause, as well as contract interpretation. Students will participate in mock trials and will be responsible for drafting an arbitration opinion as a class assignment.Prerequisite(s):

The primary objectives of the course are to better understand the nature and practice of commercial arbitration; and to develop advocacy skills by providing "hands-on" training in commercial arbitration.

This course is restricted to students selected for the ABA Commercial Arbitration Competition.

Basic Income Taxation A (2) 501AConcentration(s):Tax(Formerly DCL 249)
A survey course introducing the basic concepts of federal income taxation. Students will gain an understanding of the concepts of gross income, exclusions from income, capital gains and losses, and deductions. Students will also be exposed to tax issues that often arise for clients in the general practice of law. Topics likely to be covered include tax consequences: upon the sale of a residence; upon divorce; and in personal injury cases. Students will develop facility in analyzing both cases and statutes.Prerequisite(s): NOTE: Students that enroll in Basic Income Taxation A are ineligible to enroll in Basic Income Taxation or Basic Income Taxation B.

Basic Income Taxation B (4) 501BConcentration(s):Tax(Formerly DCL 250)
Like Basic Income Taxation A, this course introduces the basic concepts of federal income taxation. Basic Income Taxation B, however, goes beyond a survey course by a rigorous examination of technical tax issues, including a focus on solving complex tax problems. This course is ideal for students interested in pursuing legal practice in the tax or business fields. Students will be exposed to the same topics covered in Basic Income Taxation A, but will also study additional topics. Topics likely to be covered include: business and profit-seeking expenditures, capital expenditures, depreciation, the home-office deduction, tax planning for divorce, non-recourse debt, including issues relating to basis and amount realized, and anti-tax abuse provisions limiting tax shelters, including at-risk rules and active participation requirements. In resolving problems, students will have ample opportunity to develop facility in interpreting complex statutes and in applying law from various additional sources. Moreover, the themes studied will allow students to understand that tax legislation is a dynamic process in which the law evolves as a result of taxpayers devising new strategies and from policymakers' responses.

Prerequisite(s): Students that enroll in Basic Income Taxation B are ineligible to enroll in Basic Income Taxation or Basic Income Taxation A.

Basic Will Drafting (3) 540AConcentration(s):(Formerly DCL 391)
This course is designed to familiarize students with the interviewing function and the drafting of wills and other basic estate planning vehicles for clients whose estates are not subject to federal estate tax. An evaluation of usable forms and discussion of when and how to use them intelligently will be a focus of the course. A client interview and drafting exercises, including an entire basic estate plan, are contemplated. Prerequisite: Decedents' Estates and Trusts

Biotechnology Law and Food Products (3) 810PConcentration(s):This course explores the impact of biotechnology on food production and food safety. After an introduction to biotechnology and the breadth of biotechnology-created foods available, the class will focus on the regulation of food safety and its environmental impact, both in the U.S. and internationally. Students will discuss the impact of public perception on the biotechnology agriculture and transgenic animals industries. No scientific or other class pre-requisites are required.Prerequisite(s): This course is restricted to students in the Global Food Law Program.

Biotechnology Law Seminar (2) 558SConcentration(s):This seminar will examine some of the many ways that biotechnology impacts the law as well as the ways that the law has impacted the growth of biotechnology. Current biotechnology innovations or controversies will be used to explore the impacts of this technology on a selection of legal topics which may include intellectual property, business, federal regulations, property, criminal law, indigenous law, evidence, bioethics and international law. No science background is required for the course.Prerequisite(s):

Business, Securities and Tax Planning (2) 507Concentration(s):Tax(Formerly DCL 440)
The course will deal with problems of corporations and, to a lesser extent, partnerships in the areas of organization, allocation of control, issuance of securities, use of debt and equity financing, dividends, acquisitions and sales of businesses, liquidation and dissolution, and mergers. Some drafting and legal research will be involved. The course will be taught both by lecture and through student participation.

EITHER Basic Income Tax A or Basic Income Tax B AND Business Enterprises fulflls the prerequisite.